大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 88.3

88.3

Regarding "The second, the night goddess Samantamukha-viśuddhaprabhā, corresponds to the Ground of Freedom from Defilement": this means she is endowed with pure śīla and free from the defilements of afflictions that can generate subtle transgressions. Regarding the Commentary's "Within the particular explanations, three are the light of the dharma of cognition": the Commentary only resolves three points according to their difficulty; now they shall be re-explained. Broadly, there are two meanings: First, explaining them in terms of general and particular, where the first one is general and the remaining nine are particular. Among the particulars: 1. contemplating external characteristics, 2. recollecting internal virtues, 3. knowing what is realized, 4. emitting light, 5. constant light, 6. transformations, 7. the perfect voice, 8. names, 9. taming sentient beings. Second, explaining them in terms of the ten bodies: 1. bodhi-body; 2. marks and characteristics body; 3. cognition-body; 4. dharmakāya; 5. vow-body, as in the "Bhadraśrī Chapter" where emitting light from pores all stems from past vows; 6. merit-body; 7. transformation-body; 8. sustaining-power body, because the perfect voice sustains the Dharma through all future times; 9. mind-made body, because names are established at will; 10. majestic-power body, concluded by "due to majestic power." The ten bodies jointly illuminate that both inner and outer are fully complete; if one single-mindedly contemplates this, what practice could fail to be accomplished? Regarding the Commentary's "First, clarifying that meditation that clings to reality is identical to the pure meditation of the Tathāgata," and so forth: the second fascicle of the Laṅkāvatāra discusses four dhyānas. The sūtra states: "Mahāmati! There are four kinds of dhyāna. What are the four? They are the dhyāna practiced by fools, the dhyāna that investigates meaning, the dhyāna that clings to reality, and the Tathāgata dhyāna. What is the dhyāna practiced by fools? It refers to practitioners among śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and non-Buddhists who take the self-nature and common characteristics of the selflessness of persons, skeleton reflections, impermanence, suffering, and impurity as foremost in conceptual grasping. Contemplating without deviation in this way, advancing step by step, their conceptualization is not eliminated; this is called the dhyāna practiced by fools. What is the dhyāna that investigates meaning? It means having understood the selflessness of persons, their self-nature and common characteristics, that self and others among non-Buddhists are devoid of intrinsic nature, and having already contemplated the selflessness of phenomena, one gradually advances in the meaning of the characteristics of those stages; this is called the dhyāna that investigates meaning. What is the dhyāna that clings to reality? It means that concerning the discrimination of the two selflessnesses, one does not give rise to discrimination where things are truly real; this is called the dhyāna that clings to reality. What is the Tathāgata dhyāna? It means entering the practice of the Tathāgata ground, abiding in the three kinds of bliss of the characteristics of noble cognition self-awakened, and accomplishing the inconceivable deeds of sentient beings; this is called the Tathāgata dhyāna." Therefore, a verse states: "The dhyāna practiced by ordinary people, / The dhyāna that investigates characteristics and meaning, / The dhyāna that clings to reality, / And the pure dhyāna of the Tathāgata." The explanation states: In antiquity, masters mapped these to stages, and there were two traditions. One stated: The first belongs to ordinary people and Hinayāna; the second extends up to the seventh ground; the third is from the eighth ground upward; the fourth is the Buddha ground. The second master, Dayun, stated: "The first is also for ordinary people and Hinayāna; the second spans the ten faiths up to dedication; the third is the preparatory stage; the fourth extends from the first ground to the Buddha ground, because realizing Suchness they are all called Tathāgata. If cultivating contemplation, ordinary people directly employ the pure dhyāna of the Tathāgata." Now, in this text, the third is identified with the fourth, unlike the first two. The first two belong to ordinary people and Hinayāna, and the second has not yet eliminated the selflessness of phenomena. Thus, the third and fourth interpenetrate as cause and effect: seeing the Buddha's dharmadhātu is the meaning of "clinging to Suchness," and being without grasping and without entering is the meaning of the "pure dhyāna of the Tathāgata." Furthermore, Tathāgata dhyāna does not obstruct the extensive benefit and joy described below; hence the Commentary gives ten points. Regarding "Largely identical to the eight negations of the Madhyamakaśāstra": because they are not completely identical, it is called "largely identical." However, in the Nirvāṇa-sūtra and others, they are mostly completely identical, because the eight negations subsume the principle exhaustively; thus it is called "completely identical." The first four are completely identical, and the latter six combine into four. Regarding "'Neither real nor false' means not eternal": eternity has two meanings. First, the false calculation that saṃsāra is eternal; now, saying "not false" means it is not eternal. Second, transcendent real phenomena are called eternal; now, saying "not real" means they are also not eternal. This is because "in the true characteristic of all phenomena, there is neither reality nor unreality." Regarding "'Neither shifting nor perishable' means not annihilated": annihilation also has two meanings. First, when worldly phenomena shift and change, annihilation occurs; second, destroying afflictions establishes the virtue of eradication. Here both are negated, hence "not annihilated." Furthermore, among these ten phrases, the headings mostly concern essence, while the explanations mostly concern function, showing that essence and function are non-dual. They can also be summarized as five pairs of essence and function: 1. not coming and not going is the intrinsic substance of essence and function; 2. neither arising nor ceasing is the characteristic of essence and function; 3. neither real nor unreal is the power of essence and function; 4. neither shifting nor perishable is the nature of essence and function; 5. having one characteristic and being markless is the virtue of essence and function. As explained in the "Ten Practices." Regarding the Commentary's "'Then contemplating' onward directly clarifies the four dhyānas": this means guiding the four dhyānas with the Tathāgata dhyāna, which is different from the four dhyānas mapped to stages on the third ground. Because the four dhyānas differ, there are four distinctions. Although Mahāyāna and Hinayāna differ, the names and numbers of the limbs and merits are all identical as eighteen limbs, fully detailed under the third ground. The Daśabhūmika-śāstra subsumes them all into four classes: 1. obstacles to be abandoned, 2. remedial limbs, 3. beneficial limbs, 4. the samādhi upon which those two rely. Among the four, the latter three are limbs, while the first is not a limb, all as explained previously. Regarding the Commentary's "Abandoning one's own grief": explained in terms of the five feelings, the first dhyāna has already abandoned the feeling of grief. Now, with great compassion to rescue and protect, one grieves over the grief of sentient beings. Abandoning grief should properly be what is abandoned, but now mindful of others' grief, one instead gives rise to joy and pleasure, which therefore constitutes benefit. Regarding the Commentary's "In the second dhyāna," and so forth: the second dhyāna possesses four limbs: internal clarity, joy, pleasure, and concentration. First, clarifying the extinguishing of vitarka and vicāra is the obstacle to be abandoned. Regarding the Commentary's "Next, gathering all sentient beings into one mind": because they are gathered into one mind. The phrase "one mind" occurs in the sūtra for the third ground; thus that sūtra states: "With the extinguishing of vitarka and vicāra, internal clarity and one mind, free from vitarka and vicāra, concentration generates joy and pleasure, abiding in the second dhyāna." "One mind" explains the meaning of the internal mind; freedom from vitarka and vicāra is the meaning of clarity; possessing these two dharmas is called "internal clarity." Moreover, in Hinayāna, internal clarity is merely the mind of faith; in Mahāyāna, internal clarity is formed by combining three limbs of the second dhyāna: equanimity, mindfulness, and correct awareness. Because these three minds are still obscured by joy and their power is not yet preeminent, they can only abandon external vitarka and vicāra; hence they are combined as internal clarity. Now gathering sentient beings because they are gathered into one mind already has the meaning of combination. Regarding the Commentary's "In the third dhyāna" onward: it possesses five limbs: equanimity, mindfulness, joy, pleasure, and concentration, the rest being as explained earlier. Regarding the Commentary's "In the fourth dhyāna": the fourth dhyāna has four limbs: equanimity, mindfulness, neutral feeling, and concentration. Now, all four limbs being extinguished is the obstacle to be abandoned. Pure equanimity and mindfulness serve as the remedial limb. Being free from both suffering and pleasure is the neutral feeling, serving as the beneficial limb. However, while equanimity is considered a benefit in the worldly realm, viewed from the transcendent perspective it is still a feverish vexation; thus the Commentary now states: "Falsely generating the thought of pleasure within lower suffering." Since everything has subsided, equanimity is also abandoned, which only then constitutes true equanimity. The rest is as on the third ground. Regarding the Commentary's "Cultivating contemplations such as the four stations of mindfulness": the contemplation of the stations of mindfulness consists of impermanence, suffering, impurity, selflessness, and so on; "and so on" includes the ten perceptions, which are largely identical to the ten perceptions in fascicle twenty-six of the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa. Concerning the ten perceptions, the treatise states: "1. perception of impermanence, 2. perception of suffering, 3. perception of selflessness, 4. perception of the impurity of food, 5. perception of all worlds being unpleasurable, 6. perception of death, 7. perception of impurity, 8. perception of abandonment, 9. perception of dispassion, 10. perception of cessation." Here there are thirteen, hence it is said to be "largely identical."